Timberwolves’ Chris Finch has emotional response to uproar over Micah Nori’s unique Blazers contract

There is a new man at the helm for the Portland Trail Blazers after they hired Micah Nori as coach on Tuesday. Nori got his break after serving as an assistant coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2021 until this season.

The story, however, has revolved around Nori’s unique contract with the Trail Blazers. The front office gave him only one guaranteed year, with team options for 2027-2028 and 2028-2029. New owner Tom Dundon has been criticized over his cost-cutting measures, and handing Nori a stingy deal was the latest example.

While many were dumbfounded by Nori’s decision to accept the peculiar contract, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch came to the aid of his former deputy, while also lamenting the negativity surrounding the hiring, as reported by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.

“I thought it was a shame that a lot of the story about Micah’s great opportunity was overshadowed by the nature of the deal that he signed. That’s a personal decision. That’s a business decision,” said Finch.

“There are 30 of these jobs. They’re hard to get. They’re incredibly rewarding in a lot of different ways. I know he wasn’t focused on, certainly, money, but he was first focused on opportunity. That’s what we preach to all of our guys here. You should chase opportunity, not money.”

Finch admitted that he is not privy to the amount of Nori’s salary, but he stressed that it is not his business to ask.

Nori, who started his career as an assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors in 2009, earned his keep. Now, he has an opportunity to really showcase his abilities, and Finch, who witnessed Nori’s work ethic and genius, is all for it.

“You’ve got to bet on yourself in this world. Especially when you’re an outsider. We consider ourselves a little bit of outsiders. We weren’t raised in the game. We didn’t play at North Carolina or Duke, so sometimes your path is just different, and you’ve got to take chances along the way. I’m super excited for him,” added Finch.

Nori will take over from Tiago Splitter after the Trail Blazers refused to give him a regular contract. The Chicago Bulls hired Splitter as coach last week.

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